Hey There, Naminé
by twintailed
Summary: She can't count the days she spends alone, recreating the days of Sora in her drawings. One day, Naminé encounters an unexpected visitor to her quarters. Riku/Naminé.


_**Hey There, Naminé**_

_**a/n: **__Written circa October 2007._

_This, like one of the others here, is also very old. My style has changed a lot since I wrote this but I've always loved this fic. It's sweet, it's simple, and I've always loved it. It was written on a whim, all at once, because Riku/Naminé is one of the most adorable things ever. As is probably obvious, this is set between the games. Before Riku adopts his blindfold. Lets say he adopts it some time after that._

The final clash had long since ended, and the castle walls had been embedded with silence ever since, after those final whisperings of 'good night'.

Emptiness, nothingness. Those words seemed to haunt nobodies no matter where they went.

She found it strange, that once, not long ago, things were rushed beyond belief, everything happening so fast you could blink and miss it - now, days went by, slow and unmoving, with her only sincere goal to keep her occupied. And her one sleeping companion, who would forget her in the end, anyway.

So why did she work, day-by-day, for something that no one would remember? She'd disappear out of existence, then. 'Naminé' would not longer be known. She wasn't supposed to exist to begin with, so perhaps that was for the best.

Rousing from her quarters, she nimbly clambered up the stairs, her sketchbook tightly held under her arm, the loud clanking of her shoes echoing off the hollow walls. Calmly pushing open the door into the pure, white room - empty except for the large intruding piece of silvery metal - the routine remained the same, as she touched the pod hiding Sora from view.

"Good morning, Sora," she smiled quietly, brushing up against the side of the cold metal, before turning away, seating herself amidst a paper mountain, several more hundred drawings scattered and sprawled out alongside, connecting with each other, important memories and insignificant ones, everything, drawn in Naminé's crayons. She knew she'd have to find some more, soon - her supplies were growing lower, but that did not deter her efforts. She'd barely even started. She had to fix this.

It wasn't like every day she turned up it was the same. Sometimes she had to check on Sora - sometimes she had a visitor, number VIII, who vanished on her arrival. It was quiet, but she made up for that, quietly humming songs.

The sun came up, shining through the plated windows, before it slowly lowered back down in the sky, casting its eerie glow onto the platinum-blonde haired girl. Another day, another multitude of drawings.

Before she left, she never forgot. "Goodnight, Sora."

And so it was, day in, day out. Never changing. Naminé didn't mind.

She had to put everything back.

. . . .

It was a rare occasion for Naminé to oversleep. She slept precisely, the same, day in day out. She had to keep to the time allowed. The less Sora had to sleep, the fewer questions that would be asked.

.. but then, knowing Sora, he wouldn't ask questions anyway. Naminé couldn't help but think fondly of him for that, despite her anger at herself. She hurriedly opened the door to the room.

She froze. She dropped her notebook and assortment of crayons in surprise, rolling haphazardly into the room, now entirely forgotten. This black hooded guy was not leaving, even at her presence.

Her mind raced. Was it Axel? Could she deal with Axel, if he did want to speak to her? Probably not. She was scared of him, as she was of everyone else. Or whatever her true self associated as 'fear'. She couldn't feel it, right? Either way, if it was Axel, she...

Naminé hesitated, before closing the door behind her, clinging hard to the edge of the doorframe.

The black-hooded seemed surprised at her response, before the hood was lowered. "... Naminé," he muttered, brushing some scarce traces of hair out of his eyes. "... Long time no see."

It took her a few moments to recognize the voice and face, because it was so different from the drawings decorating the floor here and there. "Riku?" her voice was strange - perhaps from the lack of using it, and only for the same sentences, every day, without fail. It sounded more mature - that of a mature girl, slightly deeper, sweeter. "... You've changed."

Involuntary, Riku smiled a little at that. "... I'm not sure," he mused, not quite daring to look at her, before he sat on the floor, opposite the metal sheets, seemingly seeing through it to the sleeping boy within. "... You've been doing this? All this time?"

"Yes," Naminé agreed, finally making her way over to be alongside him, crouching down a few metres away. They'd met, after she'd put Sora to sleep, and offered him the same bargain, rewriting the darkness out of his heart - only Riku had declined, deciding to fight his inner demons himself. He looked slightly worn and tired, his hair fractionally longer and his eyes lighter than they had been before. "I promised..." she paused, fondly smiling upwards. "Oh... good morning, Sora." It seemed no routine ever was quite broken.

At her greeting to his friend, Riku couldn't help but smile kindly towards her, before sighing. "It'd help if I could keep _my_ promises better. I can't even begin to deal with my inner darkness... I suppose you could say it's getting worse, Naminé..."

"... The offer still stands. I can..."

"... No," Riku interrupted, cutting her off with slight raise of his hand. "I'm trying. It'll get better."

"I hope so," Naminé encouraged, before returning to the door and gathering up her scattered crayons, whilst Riku watched her in silence as she did this act, lost in his own thoughts, before she sat back alongside him - sketching away at another memory she'd broken, another chain she'd unlinked, that she would put right.

"What's this one?" Riku asked with slight interest at the rough, non-identifiable lines Naminé had started to draw.

"You. And Sora. When you were small... wooden sword fighting," Naminé nodded, before offering him a petit smile. "You reminded me."

Neither of them said anything for a while, as Naminé continued to draw.

"You know... there was another reason why I came here, other than to see Sora.. and you," Riku said eventually. He didn't like to disturb her efforts - but he felt not speaking up at all would mean the day would come and go, and he'd be greatly punished for the lack of 'effort' he'd put into telling her to start with. DiZ would more than likely scold him.

She paused, the pink-red crayon in mid-stroke, drawing a girl watching the pair spar on the yellow lines that could be called a beach. "Yes?" she asked.

"Thing is," Riku debated, glancing round the room, though there was no decoration to look only - only Naminé's drawings that were Sora's forgotten memories. _Tell her, Riku._ Swallowing, be continued, "DiZ thinks you should move Sora. He's found someplace safe in Twilight Town."

Having not expected that reply, it was of quite a large surprise as Naminé's hand froze, before shaking over the spot for a moment, her head lowering, hair completely covering her face, though it was clear she was wounded - or, if she could be emotionally wounded. "... why?" was the small question in response. "Why can't I stay here?"

"He says it will be easier to reunite Sora and Roxas there, and that he'll be better off there with him, so you don't give it all up..."

"But he's fine here!" Naminé's voice rose, staring straight into Riku's eyes as she sat opposite him. "I-I've done all this, here... and I'm not turning my back on Sora one day! I've done all this, and I'm not stopping till I've finished... I-I..."

It wasn't often she was aroused like this. Only ever when someone dared to take something precious away from her, something she was passionate about doing her way. It had gone fine so far... so why change it now? _Why_?

"... Naminé," Riku laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch in surprise. "... I know. It should be up to you. Not him. You've done so much, and I..." he smiled lightly. "I think you have a right in this, since you're sorting it out. Not DiZ. You're the only one who can do this."

Her face softened, but her voice still teetered on breaking. "You think so?"

"I _know_ so. DiZ said it himself," Riku reassured her. "You're all Sora has in this."

She couldn't help but smile. Someone knew - knew her plight, and knew what it meant to her, and that if she was the only one who could do it, she would do it with all her power - the small, little girl who the world would never know. "... thank you... Riku."

"Though I worry for other reasons..." Riku added. "... that the Organization will find you here. That they'll know he's here, and come and find him, and..."

"It's nice to have a friend who worries for you," Naminé interrupted quietly.

Riku blinked. Obviously, it had not occurred to her who he was also talking to. "Of course for Sora, but, for you too," he pressed. He detested the thought of the greater nobodies, those in Organization XIII, even those he hadn't met, even the nobody of Sora, but Naminé was different.

Perhaps it was the underlying connection she had with Kairi. Perhaps it was for some other reason. At least he knew that he cared about her welfare in the end.

"... me?" Naminé seemed surprised. "But I'm nothing... just a nobody, I don't even exist..."

"You do exist. If you didn't exist, who's drawing that right now?" he nodded to her picture. "Who's helping to make Sora what he once was again, and righting her wrongs? You're different, Naminé," he said quietly. "I don't want you hurt. And that's not for Sora staying like this," he added hurriedly, as she opened her mouth to object, and his placed a gloved hand over hers, his eyes sincere as he leant slightly in her direction. Even sitting, his greater height was apparent. "I don't want you hurt."

"It's not like they haven't come," Naminé chose her words slowly, before she added, "But it's only... one. And I don't think anyone else knows."

"What, Axel?" Riku's eyes narrowed slightly.

Naminé nodded. "He hasn't talked to me, but I've seen him. Every now and then. Comes in here... and thinks. I think he's watching over him. Or maybe he's wondering how this will all end..." her eyes grew distant for a moment, before they adverted back to normal.

"As long as he hasn't given you any harm," Riku mused. Perhaps.. 'Axel' was not that bad, or he had no reason to.

"Axel told me to think for myself," Naminé said quietly. Perhaps it had been for his own selfish intentions, but all the same, it had made Naminé see the darkness in her wrongs and find a way to right them, bringing them back to the light once again.

Previously, Riku had never had this information shared with him - now he had, it seemed to confirm he hadn't told the Organization on Naminé's location nor Sora's. Perhaps they thought it too obvious for her to still be in this Castle, hence why they had never cared to look. "Why don't you.. think about coming to Twilight Town? It must be... well. Quite quiet here."

"It's quiet. And it's lonely, or whatever _she_ knew it to be," Naminé replied. "But I can't be distracted."

"Do you want me to go, then?" Riku asked suddenly, not quite expecting him to say it with such haste and a neglected tone.

She concidered. "... No," she squeezed his hand lightly. "... It's hard when you're alone. Like with fighting your darkness."

He seemed happy and contented with her answer, but seemed a little.. frustrated at her second, more so with himself. "I think I'll have to hide from it, soon. It's growing. Growing, bigger and bigger. I have to run. Run from myself, but solve it. I need more time."

"You'll do it," Naminé replied with a small smile. "I know you will."

They sat like that, for a long time, before Naminé slowly retrieved the crayon from her side, Riku reluctantly letting go of her hand, as she returned to drawing. Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes into hours, as she continued, colouring, making everything exact and precise, the set of three drawings together as if staring out of a novel. It was appropriate, really - her drawings were like that of a small child's, fuzzy and slightly distorted, as the memories themselves were bound to be.

Even if she never really said to him, Naminé appreciated his company - it was like a will to do harder, as she showed him the drawings of Sora's memory, the times he and Riku had spent together - some of which even Riku had forgotten to the deepest parts of his mind, recollecting the slight shards together once again.

If she could have been, Naminé would have been rather sad when Riku had pushed himself to his feet, indicating the time had come for him to leave, in which she followed suit.

He was so much taller than her, that she couldn't help but smile and laugh slightly. He too, couldn't help but follow her lead, till he extended a hand for her to shake.

"At least think about it?"

".. I will," Naminé replied - if not for the fact she'd gotten a lot more done today - perhaps being with Riku wasn't such a bad thing, afterall. Slowly, her empty hand extended and took his, shaking it briefly in mid air.

She had no time to withdraw, as Riku brought her into a light embrace and broke off almost as quickly as it had happened. "I'll come see you again, Naminé."

He took one last look at the pod containing Sora, let go of Naminé's hand, swirling his hand, and calling forth a path of darkness, disppearing into the endless twists and turns of the labyrinth, with light as the exit. She feared it a little, as he vanished - would he ever get out?

Whilst he fought his battle, she'd fight hers. The fight to apologize to Sora. She had her promise, so she _could_ come back to him again, meet him again.

Twilight Town.. the proposition was interesting. Along with Riku, Roxas often went there. She knew little of Roxas - but she knew they'd inevitably meet, one day.

Even a non-existant being seemed to have a link to people in some way, even if at the very end, no one would remember her. Sorrowfully smiling at the drawings, she pushed them aside, picking up the red crayon once again, scribbling the hair of the red-haired girl, outlining the paopu charm.

Maybe she would meet Kairi one day, too.

"I guess I can spare some energy to cheer on Riku, too," she said quietly to herself. He was the only friend - if it could be called that - she'd ever truly made. Not under a lie.

Under the flag of truth.

. . . .

Worries over DiZ taking Sora without her consent keep haunting Naminé that night. She couldn't sleep, she could barely rest, but her fears were unfounded, as the next morning, the pod had been untouched. Riku had been true to his word. It was her decision, and he would deter DiZ as long as possible.

He _did_ care for her. Again, she smiled at the thought.

There was something that had changed, though. A neat package addressed to the female girl had been left, badly wrapped and a note scrawled on top of it. Lifting it up, several packets of crayons clattered to the floor, Naminé's eyes wide in surprise.

The note answered her questioning gaze.

_Even if Sora won't remember, I will.  
Thank you, Naminé. For everything.  
-- Riku._

Even if she was insignificant, destined to be left behind and lost in the world, something without a heart - she would live in the heart of someone else. He believed in her.

Naminé found herself widely smiling - the first smile she'd had in a long, long, long time, that was fair and true.

The gift was something so small, kind hearted words and a few coloured crayons.

But to her, it meant the world.


End file.
